HereistheadventurethatstartedJohnMuironalifetimeofdiscovery.Takenfromhisearliestjournals,thisbookrecordsMuir'swalkin1867fromIndianaacrossKentucky.Tennessee,NorthCarolina,Georgia,andFloridatotheGulfCoast.Inhisdistinctandwonderfulstyle,Muirshowsusthewilderness,aswellasthetownsandpeople,oftheSouthimmediatelyaftertheCivilWar.FounderoftheSierraClub,anditspresidentuntilhisdeath,Muirwasaspiritsofreethatallhedidtoprepareforanexpeditionwasto"throwsometeaandbreadintoanoldsackandjumpoverthebackFence."Inaworldconfrontingthedeteriorationofthenaturalenvironmentandanever-quickeningpaceoflife,theattractionofMuir'swritingshasneverbeengreater.
"Themothercathadbeenquiteupsetwhenshefirstsawthebluekitten.Shehadlookedfearfullythentowardtheriver.For,likeallcats,shehadheardthatabluekittencouldlearntheriver'ssong.Anykittenhasahardenoughtimetofindahomeforhimself.Foreverykittenmustfindahearthtofithissong.Butakittenwholistenstotheriverandlearnstheriver'ssonghasthehardesttimeofall.Notonlymustthekittenwhosingstheriver'ssongfindahearthtofitthatsong,buthemustteachthekeeperofthathearthtosingthesamesong.Theriver'ssongisveryold.Andmortalswhohaveearstohearandheartstosingarefewerthanfew."
TheMirroroftheSeaisacollectionofautobiographicalessaysfirstpublishedinvariousmagazines1904-6(SummarybyWikipedia).ConradearlyinhislifeearnedhisbreadasaMasterMarinerinsailingships.InhisAuthor’sNotetothiswork,Conradstates,”Beyondthelineoftheseahorizontheworldformedidnotexist….WithinthesepagesImakeafullconfessionnotofmysinsbutofmyemotions.Itisthebesttributemypietycanoffertotheultimateshapersofmycharacter,convictions,and,inasense,destiny—totheimperishablesea,totheshipsthatarenomore,andtothesimplemenwhohavehadtheirday.”
AwonderfulbookinwhichwemeettheluckylittlebunnywhobecomesMrs.PeterRabbit!ThisisoneofmanydelightfulanimalbookswrittenbyThorntonW.Burgess.Igrewupreadingandenjoyingthesetalesoftalkinganimalswithfunandvariedpersonalities.PeterRabbitisacharacterlovedbyall,andthischarmingtalerecountstheadventuresofmeeting,wooing,andmarryingMrs.PeterRabbit.
AmbroseBierce(1842–1914?),satirist,critic,poet,shortstorywriterandjournalist.Hisfictionshowedacleaneconomicalstyleoftensprinkledwithsubtlecynicalcommentsonhumanbehaviour.Nothingisknownofhisdeath,ashewentmissingwhileanobserverwithPanchoVilla’sarmyin1913/14.
Ashortandgentleoverviewofmediaevallifeinalargecity.Itlightlycoverstheclassstructureofsociety,localgovernment,guilds,pageantryandpunishment.Theauthorhasaneasy,rhythmicstylewhichleavesthereaderwantingtofindoutmore.
THESTORYOFPETERPANRETOLDFROMTHEFAIRYPLAYBYSIRJ.M.BARRIEBYDANIELO'CONNOR.Basically,DanielO'Connortookthestoryfromtheoriginalplay,withtheapprovalofBarrie,andshorteneditintoabookwithmusicandbeautifulillustrations.ThisshorterbookwaspublishedbeforeBarriewrotethelongernovelusingthesameplotandcharacters.
Whenheissevendaysold,PeterPanfliesawayfromhismother(forgettingthatheisnolongerabirdandthereforecannotfly),comestoliveinKensingtonGardens,andacquiresagoat.
PeterandWendytellstheclassicstoryofPeterPan,amischievouslittleboywhocanfly,andhisadventuresontheislandofNeverlandwithWendyandherbrothers,thefairyTinkerBell,theLostBoys,theIndianprincessTigerLily,andthepirateCaptainHook.
BorninVictorianLondononJuly28th,1866,BeatrixPottercreatedsomeofthebest-lovedchildren’sstoriesofalltime.StartingwithPeterRabbitandmovingthroughtherestofthesedelightfultales,theGreatBigTreasuryofBeatrixPotterwillwarmtheheartsbothofthosewhorememberherfondlyfromtheirchildhoodsandthosewhodiscoverforthefirsttimethemagicofthesetimelessstories.
FannyHill:MemoirsofaWomanofPleasure(1749)wasthefirstwidely-readEnglishnovelinthegenre“Erotica.”ItwaswrittenbyJohnClelandashewasservinghardtimeatadebtor’sprisoninLondon.Overthecenturies,thenovelhasbeenrepeatedlybannedbyauthorities,assuringitspreeminentroleinthehistoryoftheongoingstruggleagainstcensorshipoffreeexpression.
RobertW.Chambers(1865-1933)studiedartinParisinthelate80’sandearly90’s,wherehisworkwasdisplayedattheSalon.However,shortlyafterreturningtoAmerica,hedecidedtospendhistimeinwriting.Hebecamepopularasthewriterofanumberofromanticnovels,butisnowbestknownastheauthorof“TheKingInYellow”.Thisisacollectionofthefirsthalfofthisworkofshortstorieswhichhaveaneerie,other-worldlyfeeltoit;butthestoriesinthesecondhalfareessentiallylovestories,stronglycolouredbytheauthor’slifeasanartistinFrance.
RobertW.Chambers(1865-1933)studiedartinParisinthelate80’sandearly90’s,wherehisworkwasdisplayedattheSalon.However,shortlyafterreturningtoAmerica,hedecidedtospendhistimeinwriting.Hebecamepopularasthewriterofanumberofromanticnovels,butisnowbestknownastheauthorof“TheKingInYellow”.Thisisacollectionofthefirsthalfofthisworkofshortstorieswhichhaveaneerie,other-worldlyfeeltoit;butthestoriesinthesecondhalfareessentiallylovestories,stronglycolouredbytheauthor’slifeasanartistinFrance.
DonJuanisalongnarrativepoembyByron,basedverylooselyonthelegendoftheevilseducer,DonJuan.Thefirstandsecondof(eventually)seventeenCantoscomposedduringByron’sself-imposedexilefromEnglandappeared,anonymously,inJuly1819andweregreetedwithscandal,condemnation,admirationandhilarity.Moderncriticsgenerallyconsidertheself-proclaimed‘epic’,whichremainedincompleteatByron’sdeath,tobehismasterpiece.
AmbroseBierce(1842–1914·),satirist,critic,poet,shortstorywriterandjournalist.Hisfictionshowedacleaneconomicalstyleoftensprinkledwithsubtlecynicalcommentsonhumanbehaviour.Nothingisknownofhisdeath,ashewentmissingwhileanobserverwithPanchoVilla’sarmyin1913/14.
PrincessOzmaismissingWhenDorothyawakensonemorningtodiscoverthatthebelovedruleroftheLandofOzhasdisappeared,alloftheEmeraldCity'smostcelebratedcitizensjoininthesearchforthelostprincess.ButOzmaisn'tallthat'sgonemissing.ThemagicaltreasuresofOzhavedisappeared,too,includingtheMagicPicture,theWizard'sblackbag,andevenGlinda'sGreatBookofRecords.Withnocluestoguidethem,Ozma'sfriendsseparateintofoursearchpartiesandspreadoutacrosstheirvastcountryinadesperatequestfortheirabsentruler.DeepintheWinkleCountry
《彼得·潘》是杰姆·巴里最著名的一部童话剧。一天晚上,彼得·潘来到小姑娘温迪家,教温迪和她的两个弟弟在空中飞,并把他们带到了虚无岛。他们一到岛上,历险就连连不断。他们遇到了印第安人、海盗、美人鱼。由于海盗胡克作恶多端,战争不断爆发,海岛无宁静之日。但尽管不幸事件接踵而至,彼得·潘却总能大显身手,想出巧计搭救出伙伴们。
ArthurScottBailey(1877–1949)wasauthorofmorethanfortychildren’sbooks.Bailey’swritinghasbeendescribedthuslybytheNewarkEveningNews:“Mr.Baileycenteredallhisplotsintheanimal,birdandinsectworlds,weavingnaturalhistoryintothestoriesinawaythatwoneducator’sapprovalwithoutarousingthesuspicionsofhisyoungreaders.Hemadeitahabittonever‘writedown’tochildrenandfrequentlyusedwordsbeyondtheaveragejuvenilevocabulary,believingthatyoungstersrespondtothestimulusoftheunfamiliar.”
PeterandWendy,publishedin1911,isthenovelisationbyJ.M.BarrieofhismostfamousplayPeterPan;or,theBoyWhoWouldn'tGrowUp(1904).BothtellthestoryofPeterPan,amischievouslittleboywhocanfly,andhisadventuresontheislandofNeverlandwithWendyDarlingandherbrothers,thefairyTinkerBell,theLostBoys,theIndianprincessTigerLily,andthepirateCaptainHook.TheplayandnovelwerebothinspiredbyBarrie'sfriendshipwiththeLlewelynDaviesfamily.Thenovelfollowstheplayclosely,butincludesafinalchapternotpartoftheoriginalplay.
AmagnificentcollectionofshortbiographiesofU.S.PresidentsfromWashingtontoCleveland,W.A.Peterssuceedsintellingthestoryofhiscountry,throughtheeyesofit'sexecutives.
故事主要说的是,主人公阿德里安在意大利亨德森庄园度假时,在庄园住的头天晚上遇到了一个面色苍白的小女孩,小女孩阿利格拉要求阿德里安带她找到她的妈妈,阿德里安不知怎么办。奇怪的是,亨德森庄园主人的女儿也叫阿利格拉。但是,经过询问,阿德里安发现庄园主人的女儿并没有在晚上的时候找过阿德里安。后来,阿德里安与庄园主人的女儿成为好朋友,并且,主人公离开后,就一直写信给阿利格拉,可是一直都没有回信。直到过了一年终于有了回信——阿利格拉因病死了……
JackLondonlivedforatimewithinthegrimandgrimyworldoftheEastEndofLondon,wherehalfamillionpeoplescrapedtogetherhardlyenoughonwhichtosurvive.Eveniftheywereabletowork,theywerepaidonlyenoughtoallowthemapitifulexistence.Hegrewtoknowandempathisewiththeseforgotten(orignored)peopleashespokewiththemandtastedtheworkhouse,lifeonthestreets,…andthefood,whichwascheap,barelynutritious,andfoul. Hewritesabouthisexperiencesinafluidandnarrativestyle,makingitveryclearwhathethinksofthesocialstructureswhichcreatedtheAbyss,andofthemillionaireswholivehighonthelaboursofapeopleforcedtoliveinsqualor.“…Thefoodthismanagingclasseats,thewineitdrinks,…thefineclothesitwears,arechallengedbyeightmillionmouthswhichhaveneverhadenoughtofillthem,andbytwiceeightmillionbodieswhichhaveneverbeensufficientlyclothedandhoused.”
PeterPanisacharactercreatedbyScottishnovelistandplaywrightJ.M.Barrie(1860–1937).Amischievousboywhocanflyandmagicallyrefusestogrowup,PeterPanspendshisnever-endingchildhoodadventuringonthesmallislandofNeverlandastheleaderofhisgangtheLostBoys,interactingwithmermaids,Indians,fairiesandpirates,andfromtimetotimemeetingordinarychildrenfromtheworldoutside.InadditiontotwodistinctworksbyBarrie,thecharacterhasbeenfeaturedinavarietyofmediaandmerchandise,bothadaptingandexpandingonBarrie'sworks.
ArthurRansomeisbestknownforhisSwallowsandAmazonsseriesofchildren’sbooks.Thisistheonlyexampleofhisfictioninthepublicdomain.ThesestoriesareallfromRussianfolklore,somecomparativelywell-known,otherslessso.RansomespentsomeyearsinRussiaasanewspapercorrespondentfortheDailyNewsandtheManchesterGuardianandwasperipherallyinvolvedintherevolution.InthelatetwentieshemarriedEvgeniaShvelpina,Trotsky'ssecretary,retiredfromnewspapersandstartedwritinghischildren’sbooks.
TheReverendGilbertWhitewasthecurateofthevillageofSelborne,avillageinHampshire,from1784tohisdeathin1793,livingmostofhislifeinthevillage.Thebookisintheformofacollectionofletterstotwofriends,discussingthenaturalhistoryoftheareasthatheknew,andnaturalhistoryingeneral.White'sintensecuriosityandhislovefortheworldabouthimflowthroughhissimple,straightforwardstyle,andagentlesenseofhumourcoloursmanyofhisanecdotes.
TheMirroroftheSeaisacollectionofautobiographicalessaysfirstpublishedinvariousmagazines1904-6(SummarybyWikipedia).ConradearlyinhislifeearnedhisbreadasaMasterMarinerinsailingships.InhisAuthor'sNotetothiswork,Conradstates,"Beyondthelineoftheseahorizontheworldformedidnotexist....WithinthesepagesImakeafullconfessionnotofmysinsbutofmyemotions.Itisthebesttributemypietycanoffertotheultimateshapersofmycharacter,convictions,and,inasense,destiny---totheimperishablesea,totheshipsthatarenomore,andtothesimplemenwhohavehadtheirday."
JackLondondiedattheageofforty.Inthisautobiographicalwork,LondondescribeshislifeasseenthroughtheeyesofJohnBarleycorn(alcohol).Thereismuchcontroversyaboutthecauseofhisdeathjustasthereisaboutalcoholismandaddiction.London'sbrutallyfrankandhonestanalysisofhisownstrugglesandboutswithalcoholwaswaybeforeitstimeandmoremoderntheoriesofaddiction.Withremarkablecandorandinsight,Londondescribesthedemonsandgodsheencounteredthroughbothfriendandenemy,JohnBarleycorn.